A World about to Dawn
by SweetProserpina
Summary: Complete! Draco discovers that the only world he knew can no longer accept him. Must he endure the same fate as his fellows, can love change his future? Read to find out! DG
1. Red and Black

Disclaimer: JKR's world of Harry Potter is not mine, nor is the song Red and Black, it's from Les Miserables.  
  
Author's etc.: it's a one shot, but it can be taken as a precursor to my other one shot Respite from Reality.  
  
**A World about to Dawn  
**  
An eerie glow came from the fireplace of the Slytherin common room. Surrounding it, in various languid poses sat the upper echelon of Slytherin males. None had had any contact over the summer, due to their fathers' chosen occupations, and now they were catching up as only Slytherins can do. Their talk was not of Seaside vacations or European tours, that was far too dull and happened every summer anyway. They were sharing stories about muggle-baiting and demonstrating newly learnt curses. They bragged, with relish, of the upcoming war and their Dark Lord's rise to power.  
  
_ Malfoy, you're late, what's wrong today? _

_ You look as if you've touched a ghost.  
_  
Draco had entered through the portrait hole in a daze. His carefully honed arrogant demeanor had fallen from his face, revealing a look of confusion and melancholy.  
  
Blaise Zabini strode down the stairs from his dormitory, joining the group. Upon hearing the last of Montague's comment, he stopped at the bottom of the steps and shouted to Goyle, and then turning to face Malfoy, called out a question.  
  
_ Some wine, and say what's going on?_  
  
Draco made his way to the noble assemblage and rested his lanky form against the mantle, with his back towards his fellows. He spoke to the granite wall in front of him as he answered quietly.  
  
_ A ghost you say, a ghost may be. _

_ She was just like a ghost to me. _

_ One minute there and she was gone.  
_  
Theodore raised his head from his glass and chuckled.  
  
_ I am agog, I am aghast. Is Draco here, in love at last?  
_  
He rolled his eyes in the direction of the forlorn figure near the fire. His expression mocking the young Malfoy heir.  
  
_ I've never seen him 'oooohhh and aaaahhhhh'.  
_  
Blaise took up the taunt. His eyes gleamed with mischief, and his straight, pearly teeth grinned wickedly in the firelight. Swirling his wine, he spoke.  
  
_ You talk of battles to be won, _

_ And here he comes like Don Ju-an. _

_ It's better than the op-er-a.  
_  
Draco shrugged off their teasing, taking it in stride, and joined the group and their evil machinations. He accepted a glass and a chair, and did what was expected of him, as the heir to the House of Malfoy and a young servant to the Dark Lord. He listened with ease as his compatriots gleefully told of their summer exploits. Although, Draco remained aloof and silent during the banter, he left for his room only after they had all trickled up to their own. That night his dreams rebelled. They were filled with a crimson- haired sprite that danced and laughed around him as he travelled through his dream world, instead of the plots of terror and revenge that the fellows in the common room had spoken of.

* * *

Severus Snape paced in the antechamber of his dungeon study. He despised what he was about to do. He wished, not for the first time, that he had never made that terrible mistake twenty-one years ago. He was still paying for it, and he would never allow himself his own redemption. The cost of his error had been too great to ever atone for. And now, he was encouraging the young men of his own House to make that same mistake. He was under orders, and therefore he had no choice in the matter. But he hated to see such a group of clever young men destroyed as he had been.  
  
His study clock chimed the hour and he went to meet the new casualties.  
  
They were all waiting for him, looking dignified and far too mature for their age, seated on the leather couches that furnished his study.  
  
He decided that petty conversation was useless. They knew why they were here. He spoke critically to them.  
  
_ It is time for us all to decide who we are.  
_  
He glared at Zabini and his pearly teeth.  
  
_ Do we fight for the right for a night at the opera now?  
_  
He looked back at the whole assembly and asked them cryptically.  
  
_ Have you asked of yourselves, what's the price you might pay?  
_  
Then, he snarled at Nott, who was fiddling with his signet ring.  
  
_ Is it simply a game for rich, young boys to play?  
_  
Snape's gaze fell upon Malfoy, who was sitting farthest from him. Malfoy met his mentor's eyes, speaking quietly in the echoing silence of the room.  
  
_ The colour of the world is changing day by day.  
_  
The boys left soon after their little pep talk. Looking serious, though eager. Snape noticed that the young Malfoy heir let his hard expression slip, momentarily of course, but it was enough to give Snape hope. Perhaps not all will be forced to suffer as I have. He may be right; the colour of the world will change.  
  
_ Red, the blood of angry men. _

_ Black, the dark of ages past. _

_ Red, a world about to dawn. _

_ Black, the night that ends at last.  
_

* * *

They all met the evening after everyone got back from Christmas holidays. Their purpose was similar to what it had been right after school started but this time it had an added element to it. Those that went home had gotten to go to their first Death Eater meeting. Draco noticed the lusty gleam in their eyes as they sat around the fire.  
  
Draco had not gone home. Over the past term he had been haunted by his crimson-haired sprite. Her laughter tinkled in his ears, her flickering smiles were there every time he closed his eyes. It was an obsession, a compulsion and a permutation.  
  
He listened as Montague's voice carried the tale to those that had not been fortunate enough to go home.  
  
_ Had you been there that night, you might know how it feels.  
  
_Draco watched as a look of greed overtook the young wizard's face.  
  
_ To be struck to the bone in a moment of endless delight.  
_  
Draco knew why Montague was so gleeful, the Death Eaters had let him finish off the muggle they had been torturing. His first victim. An insatiable lust of power had been born into him in that moment. He would never be the same again.  
  
_ Had you been there that night, you might also have known. _

_ How the world may be changed in just one burst of light.  
  
_Draco grew sick of the tale. Something was wrong with him. His world had changed. Why couldn't he feel more like them anymore? He sighed to himself, gently placing his glass of Ogden's on a side table and getting up to go.  
  
_ And what was right seemed wrong  
  
_He climbed through the portrait hole and began to pace through the corridors until he found her.  
  
_ And what was wrong seemed right.  
_

__

_ Red, I feel my soul on fire. _

_ Black, my world if she's not there._

_ Red, the colour of desire. _

_ Black, the colour of despair.  
_

* * *

It was a warm June night, but he couldn't tell from where he sat at the scrubbed pine table in the kitchen basement of Number 12, Grimmauld Place. Severus sat across from him, Dumbledore beside him. Only Ginny knew he was here.  
  
_ Draco, you're no longer a child.  
  
_Snape spoke forcibly to him. Dumbledore tried to ease the situation.  
  
_ I do not doubt you mean it well, but know there is a higher call.  
_  
Draco rolled up his sleeve and glanced at the smooth skin of his forearm. Tracing the veins with his fingertips, he wondered what his crimson-haired sprite would think of all this. It would put her in danger. And he didn't want that.  
  
Severus broke into his thoughts.  
  
_ Who cares about your lonely soul, _

_ we strive towards a larger goal_.  
  
Draco looked up at him and Snape added softly as he passed Draco a white mask and a Death Eater's robe.  
  
_ Our little lives don't count at all.  
_  
Draco took it from him. Because he must, and he knew it. It would all be over soon, that's what she always told him. And he believed her, because he loved her.  
  
_ Red, the blood of angry men._

_ Black, the dark of ages past.  
_  
And once it was over, he would live happily ever after with his crimson- haired sprite.  
  
_ Red, a world about to dawn.  
_  
They would be accepted once the war was over. Everyone would understand.  
  
_ Black, the night that ends at last._

* * *

Thanks for Reading - sweetp


	2. Drink with Me

Disclaim: I don't own HP or Les Mis, but I like them... a lot.

** Drink With Me**

The mood in the Slytherin common room was a jubilant one the night after everyone returned from Easter Hols. Initiation ceremonies had taken place and there were three extremely giddy young Slytherins draped around the couches and wing chairs. There was also another Slytherin present as well, though decidedly less emotional. He was happy seeing his comrades so blissful, however, despite the reason for it.  
  
Montague, he saw, was celebrating the only way he knew how; with a bottle.  
  
_ Drink with me, today's gone by.  
_  
He got up and staggered over to where Zabini lounged by the fire.  
  
_ Sing with me, the songs we knew!  
_  
Blaise rolled his eyes at his fellow's antics, 'songs my foot!', but he joined in nonetheless, his giddiness over-riding his pride. Raising his glass he sung bawdily.  
  
_ Here's to pretty girls, who went to our heads!  
_  
Draco smirked back at his childhood friends, playing along he replied with his own toast.  
  
_ Here's to witty girls, who went to our beds!_  
  
Nott exploded in laughter at the quip. Draco looked around at his friends, feeling the guilt settle heavily upon his shoulders, it was just like old times, laughing and drinking, when the largest worry was an Arithmancy final or a Quidditch loss.  
  
No one would have guessed that the foursome, who joked so nonchalantly around the hearth, now bore a permanent sign of devotion to a man bent on ruling the world. All bore the mark willingly, though only three took pride in it. The other had done it out of necessity; a traitor in their midst. But he played his role so well that no one saw through his façade. Loyalty was strong within Slytherin House, trust was implicit.  
  
Nott, his laughter now reduced to a soft chuckle, spoke up.  
  
_ Here's to them!_  
  
Draco glanced up over his glass at his friends. Men, who were almost, like brothers to him. How could they have chosen such a different path? Then again, how could he?  
  
_ And here's to you...  
_  
They genuinely smiled at the blond after he had called out to them. They were embarking on a new era within the wizarding world together. That was the best part; together, they would help in bringing this new world to light.

* * *

The pressure on the young Malfoy heir was getting to him. When it became too much to bear, he looked to Severus for guidance. They met in his study, sitting on the very same leather couches where Snape had recruited the young men for the Dark Lord. Despite Snape's empathy with Draco's situation, the Potions Master often let his own bitterness seep into conversation. His traitorous life had left him alone and despised and he found it hard to encourage Draco along the same path, despite the slight differences in situation. Snape knew that Draco was in possession of someone's unswerving devotion and love, and he was envious of it.  
  
On this night, Draco poured the brandy for both of them.  
  
_ Drink with me, today's gone by._  
  
Snape accepted the glass from the boy's shaking hand, questioning him.  
  
_ Can it be, you fear to die?  
  
_The young man's fears rarely got the better of him. Unfortunately, to Draco's dismay, they had taken to manifesting themselves physically, which took much of his energy to control. He only let go of his control in front of his sprite and Severus. Both of them had enough tact to not mention it directly, well, most of the time.  
  
Tonight had been difficult for Draco, his friends had toasted to women and glory, and they had seemed so full of purpose. Why should he feel so lost all of a sudden? He sighed into his drink.  
  
_Will the world remember you when you fall?  
_  
Snape had no answer for Draco. What did this life they were leading have to offer him? Nothing. No hero's funeral, no monument of glory. Snape had nothing to show for two decades of a double life. Children feared him or ridiculed him, adults always kept their distance.  
  
Draco continued his listless questioning.  
  
_ Could it be your death, means nothing at all?  
_  
No, no! Enough of this. This line of questioning never lead to answers that inspired one to keep their sanity. Snape ended his pupil's nattering queries with one of his own. Putting down his glass, he crossed over to the boy and clasped a worn hand on his shoulder.  
  
_ Is your life, just one more life?_  
  
Draco cradled his head in his hands. He couldn't let this get to him anymore. He had been responsible for this fate. He had chosen the right path, not the easy one. Gods, why couldn't his friends have done the same. If only the world were different. If only he hadn't had to choose. His hand trembled as he picked up his glass.  
  
_ Drink with me, today's gone by._  
  
He slugged the drink back, ignoring the genteel protocol of his youth. He grimaced, as it hit the back of his throat. Holding out his glass for more, he toasted again, calling out sarcastically.  
  
_ To the life, that used to be!  
_  
Snape looked down at the boy and felt his heart twist. Taking his glass away from him, he thought of the mountainous task that the boy, so like a son to him now, had to accomplish. Draco was to infiltrate the younger circle of Death Eaters, much as Snape was doing with the Inner Circle. But Snape was old and experienced while Draco was young and unsure. He would make so many painful mistakes. Severus offered Draco the best advice he could. Smirking evilly, mentor spoke to apprentice.  
  
_ Let the shrine of friendship never say die. _

_ Let the wine of friendship never run dry...  
_  
Snape lifted his drink, toasting them both. Traitors. Let them celebrate each other, as no one else would ever do it. If they did their job well, the side they fought for would despise them, and the side they despised would welcome them with open arms. Terribly ironic. Sniggering at the hopelessness of it all, he cheered.  
  
_ Here's to you! And here's to me..._  
  


* * *

With the end of the school year, Draco found himself and his friends shipped off to the Serpent's Lair, a fraternity of Death Eater's. Once there, he quickly rose to the top of the social hierarchy and earned a cold but lavish room, as befit his station among the organization. Deep in enemy territory, the pale-haired boy became lonely quickly. All the friends in the world could not equal the pleasure of one minute in the arms of his crimson-haired sprite. Her encouragement and her unselfish love urged him to continue this farce. But it was so hard to keep it up, when she as so far away.  
  
_ Do I care if I should die, now that she is away from me?_  
  
The war couldn't last much longer. He hoped that by the end of summer it would be finished and he could enter his seventh year at Hogwarts just like every other year. The longer this cursed war continued, the harder it was to believe it was all worth it. Maybe the Cause wasn't real, maybe she wasn't even real. Could she have been a ghost like he had first imagined?  
  
_ Life without Ginny, means nothing at all._  
  
He could picture her face so well though. He could hear her laugh. He closed his eyes, picturing her smile. No, she must have been real once.  
  
_ Would you weep Ginny, should your Draco fall?_  
  
He buried his head in his shaking hands as he sat, curled in the edge of his bed. A traitor in a den of snakes. Silent sobs wracked his frame.  
  
_ Will you weep, Ginny, for me?_

Author's etc: More to come, I promise. Review please, it makes me smile. -sweetp


	3. Turning

Disclaim!Disclaim!: I do not own HP or Les Miserables. Nor do I make any money off them..doh!

Author's etc.: Thank you to everyone who's reviewed. I'm so glad that you like my style of combining the songs and story! Hope you enjoy this new installment. -sweetp

****

**Turning, Turning, Turning.**

Early on the morning of June 3, 1997 both Molly and Ginny Weasley found themselves in the draughty kitchen at Number 12, Grimmauld Place. They were used to mornings like these. They were cold, nervous mornings, while they waited for the other members of the Order to come back after a night skirmish with Death Eaters. When they all trickled in, Ginny and Molly would start making a hearty breakfast for the weary members, before they all shuffled off to rest up before the next fight. This morning was different though, they should have been back by now; they were always back by now. What had happened?

Ginny sat listlessly at the table, her mind constantly worrying about the safety of everyone who had left last night, and one who had left a long time ago. She hadn't heard a word from him in over two months and she was getting desperate. She knew he was deeply buried in enemy lines and it was difficult to get an owl out to her but still, sometimes no news, isn't good news.

Molly scrubbed the counter over and over again, wearing down the finish with the knitted dish towel she had clutched in her hand. It was habit, something to keep her hands busy while she endured this interminable waiting.

Their reverie was broken by a noise on the staircase. They quickly pivoted their heads towards the noise. Were they back? Were they all right?

Hermione entered the room alone. Her robes were ragged, her face covered in soot and streaked with blood. Her hair, which had started off in a sensible knot, had come loose and wild around her face. Her glazed expression was the worst part of the picture that the two Weasley women saw. One look into them belayed the terror and sadness that overwhelmed the young witch.

Her eyes met with Ginny's and she whispered to her.

_ Did you see them going off to fight?_

Ginny nodded slowly to the warrior.

Molly broke in wistfully with her own opinion.

_ Children, in this Wizards' War._

Hermione stunned the two women by adding on,

_ Who didn't last the night._

Thoughts buzzed through Hermione's busy mind. They had thought it would be a brief skirmish, but it had turned into the major battle of second Wizard's War. Dozens of battle-hardened Death Eaters, along with legions of goblins, zombies, vampires, and dementors had been waiting for them. It had been slaughter, a gory business altogether. She had seen it all pass before her eyes like a muggle motion picture, blurring the lines between reality and nightmare.

Ginny's eyes filled with tears of desperation. Who didn't last the night? Where was everyone else? She grabbed Hermione by the shoulders and shook her, begging information from the dazed girl.

_Did you see them lying where they died?_

The images of Molly's strong sons flashed before her eyes, what was happening now was far too similar to what the boggart had shown her almost two years ago. It wasn't fair, they were her babies!

_Someone used to cradle them and kissed them when they cried._

She said softly as her only daughter continued to shake and scream for answers from the weary young witch.

_Did you see them lying side by side?_

Hermione blinked, still in her trance and immune to Ginny's shrieks. They had been right there, lying on the green grass of the battlefield. They had looked so peaceful in death. No! They couldn't be, not Dean, or Hannah or ... Charlie.

Sniffling, she turned and looked Molly straight in the eyes, asking her pleadingly,

_Who will wake them?_

Molly started to sob, holding onto the counter for support.

_No one ever will._

_No one ever told them that a summer's day can kill._

Hermione shook her head, unconvinced that they were really gone. It was barely a year since they had all left Hogwart's on the Express. They laughed and ate Chocolate Frogs, played Exploding Snap, talked of how exciting seventh year would be when it started up in September. But they never got to go back to Hogwarts. They went to battle instead.

_They were school boys when the war begun,_

_Fighting for a New World that would rise up like the sun._

Heroic Gryffindors. Hermione smiled grimly at the thought. The Order had such glorious ideals. They fought for such a noble cause, to have a world free from prejudice and hate. They had truly believed that it was a goal worth risking everything over, but it appeared that they had risked too much. Hermione had disapparated from the battlefield when the retreat had been called. She couldn't take it anymore anyway, once she had seen Minerva's prone body she had had enough. Harry and Ron were still out there somewhere, their heroics bordering on stupidity.

The chair creaked as Ginny sunk gracelessly onto the hard wooden frame. Her assault on Hermione relented as her strength ran out. Bitterly she cried, burying her face in her hands.

_Where's this new world, now the fighting's done?_

It was supposed to have been so different. The good guys were supposed to win and the bad guys were supposed to lose, none of this prolonged grief and worry. The war was supposed to make it easier for her and Draco. This New World was going to allow them to be together without fear or shame. What would happen now? Where was he? Was he dead too?

Molly, her sobs subsiding, looked over to her distraught daughter, and her youngest son's love, with dull eyes. She had been here before. Waiting until word of Gideon and Fabian came through. History was doomed to repeat itself. She shook her head, humanity was so terribly hopeless when it came to living. Why had she brought children into this world to suffer as she had done? Crooning to the young women, she whispered sadly.

_Nothing changes, nothing ever will_

_Every year another boy, another mouth to fill._

She crossed to where her daughter sat, tears trickling down her freckled cheeks. She took Ginny's chin in her hand and brought her head up, gently wiping the tears away with her fingertips.

"Mum, mummy, what if..._sniff_ what if he.._hic_..."

"Shhh, baby girl, hush." She whispered, not knowing who her daughter was referring to but trying to calm her.

_Same old story, what's the use of tears?_

The sound of steps on the staircase brought everyone's attention back up to the doorway. Was there more news? More tragedy?

A figure in a heavy black cloak entered, his face obscured by his cowl. He lifted his head and the women in the room screamed in terror. The figure was wearing the white mask of death.

Motionless in fear, they panicked until Ginny noticed a strand of pale hair escaping from the inside of the hood. She looked closer, into the eyes of the specter and wailed with delight, throwing herself across the kitchen towards him. He tore off his mask just before their arms encircled each other.

"Oh gods, Draco, I thought you were.. I thought you were de.."

"I'm all right baby, I promise. I'll never leave again, never."

Molly and Hermione stood still, uncomprehending of the happy reunion that was taking place in front of them. Draco Malfoy and Ginny Weasley? It didn't make any sense, but then again, did anything anymore? They watched carefully as Draco held Ginny tightly in his arms. Looking over her head, his eyes made contact with Hermione, he tried to speak but stumbled.

"Granger, I tried, I really did. I was so far away, please forgive me for being too slow. He fell, he's hurt, no one knows if.."

Her eyes grew wide and she fell onto her knees. She looked up at him with pleading eyes. Please say it's not Ron. I don't care who or what you are, just tell me he's okay. He's got to be okay.

Draco's grasp tightened on Ginny. His gaze locked with Hermione's, searching their agonizing depths, he wondered if this was what his Sprite felt like every time he went away. He felt the bile rise in his throat. Dirty bastards, how could they cause such innocent people so much pain? He closed his eyes tightly, fighting for control.

"They've done everything they can. It's up to the Gods now, and Ron, he'll fight."

For a man who had never uttered a prayer in his life, the war often drove him to it. It was his only way of keeping his hope alive in the darkest of places.

Molly stepped over to where Hermione knelt and sunk to her knees beside her. Bowing her head, she began to whisper a string of words to whatever deity she believed in, pleading for her son's life.

Hermoine couldn't take it anymore. No! Not him, not my Ron! She stood up abruptly and screamed at those in the dark kitchen, before tearing up the stairs and away from everything. The hurt, the pain, the unknown.

_What's the use of praying if there's nobody who hears!_

Those in the kitchen never moved out of place. Hours later, when an exhausted Severus Snape dragged himself down the steps, he saw Molly on her knees on the cold stone floor mumbling words of hope, and saw his godson, who had Ginny wrapped up in a never-ending embrace. It was a heartbreaking scene, watching them will the world to stop. But as all wizards know, time is a tricky thing, and cannot be stopped or meddled with. While peace reigned in this kitchen, a war still raged on outside. Potter had done the impossible, he had beat Voldemort, but the war was far from over. Looking over at the two young soulmates, one in a Death Eater robe and the other in a second-hand Gryffindor one, he shook his head in sadness, the war would never end stop for those two.

_Turning, turning, turning through the years._

_Minutes into hours, and the hours into years._

_Round and round and round and round,_

_And back where you began._

"Draco," his apprentice's head slowly rose to meet his gaze. "You have to get back. It's Potter, he's been taken by the young Serpents."

He nodded slowly at the Potions Master. He whispered to Ginny,

"I'm so sorry, Ginny, so sorry, I've got to go, I promise I'll be back soon."

Snape pulled him away from their clinging grasp and led him up the stairs. Ginny stared blankly after them. Stop, don't go, I love you so much,

_Round and round and round and round._

_And back where you began._

* * *

Author's etc.: well, what do you think? I found this one so sad, so hopeless. Please review and tell me what you think. Next Draco rescues Harry.. sort of.. it'll be up in a few days! Oh, and there's still three chapters left, at least!

Cheers -sweetp


	4. Harry's Rescue

Disclaimer: I am not JKR, I do not own HP or Les Miserables, I am merely borrowing their excellentness.

Author's etc: this is the fourth of six. The last two are written, expect them up over the next couple of days. Enjoy, and review! Happy reading – sweetp.

****

**Harry's Rescue**

The Boy-Who-Lived lay bound in a crumpled heap at the feet of a group of Death Eaters. In the confusion after the defeat of Voldemort, they had snatched him and brought him back to their lair, or at least he thought that was where he was. His wand was lost somewhere on the battlefield, so he was at the mercy of the thugs that encircled him. They had stopped their incessant pounding a few minutes earlier; now, they were arguing with each other as to his final fate, apparently there was no senior member around to tell them what to do.

Suddenly, the clack of well-heeled boots were heard striding across the room. The conversation ceased, and Harry and the masked figures turned to see who was entering their chamber.

A tall figure, dressed in finely tailored robes, stepped from the shadows

_Who is this man, what sort of devil is he?_

"Enough!" the figure barked, securing everyone's full attention. "Now, now, boys, what do we have here?" The figure held his hand out to the group, who promptly bent to kiss the large silver signet ring he had there.

"Ah, the infamous Harry Potter" the voice drawled. "Our Lord will thank you greatly for this, fellows."

One man from the group spoke up hesitantly. "But I thought that this kid did him in..."

"How dare you imply that this ...boy... could destroy someone as powerful as our Lord! Fool, you will pay for your disrespect. Crucio!"

The young man's body jerked as the curse hit.

"Any other doubters?"

The room was silent.

"I thought so." The tall Death Eater dragged Harry up by the collar and shoved him toward the exit. Once they were both out of sight, the man disapparated with his prisoner in tow. Harry didn't understand. He had killed Voldemort, he was sure of it. This couldn't be happening, he thought he had finally ended it. They appeared in a small bedroom, empty except for a cot shoved into a corner and a table and chair underneath the lone window.

The man pushed him back onto the cot and retreated to the other side of the room. Harry looked up at him, confused.

_To have me caught in a trap_

_And chose to let me go free?_

No, it can't be. Harry had been living in fear since he was eleven; he had been waiting for this ending with a perverse pleasure. This would be it. He had accomplished his goal and now he was free to go beyond the veil. He could unburden himself forever. Mum, Dad, Sirius, I'll be there soon.

The man cocked his head sideways at Harry, as if weighing his options.

_It was his hour at last, to put a seal on my fate_

_Wipe out the past and watch me clean off the slate._

The man reached for one of the objects scattered across the table, and pulled up a deadly looking blade. He started to walk slowly across the room. Harry sat mesmerized as the figure moved closer.

_All it would take is a flick of his knife._

He squeezed his eyes closed waiting to feel the cold bite of steel hit him. Nothing happened. The man reached around him and cut the binds that were holding him. After he had finished, he stepped back across the room.

_Vengeance was his and he gave me back my life._

The man leaned against watching quietly. Harry, his anger growing, threw the ropes, hitting the wall next to the man. He barely flinched. How dare he act so smug, the filthy Death Eater. Did he think that this small act of mercy would redeem him?

_Damned if I'll live in the debt of the Dark_

_Damned if I'll kneel at the end of a chase_

Who does he think he is? Harry wanted to escape, to die. It was his destiny, Bastard, show some sympathy.

_I am the Light and the Light is not mocked._

_I'll spit his pity right back in his face._

"Who are you, coward? Harry whispered. "How dare you deny me, I only want to be with those I love, to be free from all of this."

"I am a selfish man Potter, you know that." The man slowly removed his mask.

"Malfoy!"

"I want that freedom too, to be with my loved ones. And, sadly, that means I must prevent you from seeing yours."

"No!" Harry retorted.

_There is nothing on earth that we share._

It wasn't fair. All Harry wanted was to escape from the wizarding world. To be normal and anonymous. There were two ways to do that, and one lay on the table beside Malfoy. Harry leapt to grab the dagger. Draco quickly had him at wandpoint instead, preventing him from getting to it.

_Curse me Malfoy, if you dare!_

The world went black for the young hero and he awoke ten minutes later spread across the cot. His limbs felt incredibly heavy, making it difficult to move. The room was empty now, Malfoy had disappeared. Harry sighed as his head sunk deeper into the pillow.

_How can I now allow this man,_

_To hold dominion over me._

_This desperate man that I have hunted,_

Harry closed his eyes, trying to piece together the jagged memories of the past few hours. Draco Malfoy, who was to his knowledge, a cruel, unemotional Death Eater had decided not to kill him. He should be furious with Harry for killing the Dark Lord. Why didn't he care?

_He gave me my life, he gave me freedom._

_I should have perished by his hand._

Harry had ended the lives of so many more than Voldemort. How could he go back to the Wizarding world with so much blood on his hands? He would be honoured, exalted. It made him sick to think about it.

_It was his right. It was my right to die as well._

_Instead I live, and live in hell._

Harry's limbs were beginning to lighten, he got up and hobbled across the room, searching for an exit in the door-less room. His eyes fell upon the objects scattered across the table. The dagger was gone, no surprise there. Harry picked up and almost empty bottle of Ogden's and took a swig, his eyes flitting across the table. One object caught him by surprise. The bottle fell to the floor with a clank, preserved by an unbreakable charm, it merely rolled underneath the bed.

_And my thoughts fly apart._

There, in a small frame, was a picture of a slightly younger Malfoy with his arms around... Ginny Weasley. The figures were playing in the snow, with Hogwarts in the background. The photo Ginny was tackling the photo Malfoy. He grinned and flipped her over, diving in for a kiss.

_Can this man be believed?_

They looked so happy. Harry picked up the picture for a closer inspection. No, they looked like they were in love. Photo Ginny pulled away from Photo Malfoy, noticing the observer outside the frame. She waved at Harry and smiled, trying to pull Photo Malfoy up at the same time. He finally got up and let Photo Ginny brush the snow off him. He rolled his eyes at Harry as she continued her ministrations. Finally, she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and turned back to waving at Harry.

_Should his sins be forgiven?_

_Should his crimes be reprieved?_

Harry heard a 'pop' behind him. Shit.

"Put that down. So, now you know, eh, Potter?"

"No Malfoy, I don't think I do." Harry replied evenly. If you really loved her, how could you do what you have done? She would never love a Death Eater."

Draco cocked his head sideways. "You're right for once, she doesn't love Death Eater, she loves a traitor."

Harry's eyes widened at this admission. Impossible.

_And must I now begin to doubt._

_Who never doubted all these years._

He glanced back at the picture of the two. It must have been taken the Christmas before last. That would mean he's been working for the Order for the whole war...

_My heart is stone and still it trembles._

_The world I have known is lost in shadow._

Malfoy dug a hand into his pocket, pulling out a bottle-cap. He flipped it to Harry, who caught it automatically.

"It's a portkey, it will take you to the alley behind Grimmauld Place. Snape has been informed, they're waiting for you."

Harry looked up from the small object. "What about you?"

"I have a few things to take care of, those gents that took you will start to wonder why they haven't heard the gory details of your death yet."

"Oh." Harry breathed out.

"Tell Gin I'll be back as soon as I can." He finished softly.

Harry nodded distractedly and Malfoy disapparated.

I_s he from Heaven or from Hell?_

_And does he know that granting me my life tonight,_

_This man has killed me even so._

Harry felt the pull of the portkey begin to grab him.

_I am reaching but I fall._

He landed in a dark empty alley. He looked up from where he lay.

_And the stars are black and cold._

He looked down the alleyway the where he knew 12 Grimmauld place was, where everyone waited to cheer a killer.

_As I stare into the void of a world that cannot hold._

Harry turned his head and looked towards the other end of the alley. It led to muggle London. A metropolis, where one man is a small drop of water in an ocean of humanity. True freedom, pure anonymity.

_I'll escape now from this world._

_From the world of Wizardry._

Weary bodies sat, waiting patiently for his return, having been alerted by Severus that Harry had obtained a portkey to get back. They continued to wait at the scrubbed pine table as the minutes ticked by.

Harry started walking towards muggle London, turning back only once in a flash of regret. He shook his head sadly and continued on his way. He had a life to start over, and damned if it would happen if he went back.

_There is no where I can turn._

_There is no way to go on._

As Harry walked towards his new life, Severus, who was slouched against the kitchen wall at 12 Grimmauld place, began to worry, something he seldom did. He had given Draco the portkey hours ago, why weren't the two boys back yet?

Something must have gone terribly, terribly wrong.

Author's etc: More soon, I promise! Don't forget to review grin And many thanks to al those that already have! You are my heroes!- sweetp


	5. Bring Him Home

Disclaimer: I do not own HP or his world, it's JKR's, I'm only borrowing it, same goes for the lyrics to Les Miserables.

**Bring Him Home**

He waited a full twenty-four hours for word from either of the boys. Nothing. What had happened? He refused to think the worst. His boy was a true Slytherin; cunning and self-interested. His faith in the boy was unshakable. The past year he had proved himself as a worthy apprentice, therefore Snape did not doubt whether Draco would be able to snatch Potter back. It seemed simple enough, those young ones were easy to manipulate. But something must have gone wrong. He knew his boy, and if he had been successful he'd be back here with Ms. Weasley as soon as possible. So, why wasn't he?

"That's it!" Snape grunted, slamming down his tea cup on the kitchen table. He had to do something, find out what had happened. And if that meant going back into the Snake's Den, so be it. He couldn't give up on Draco so easily. Potter, he could care less about by this point, he was Dumbledore's Golden boy, everyone worshipped him. But Draco, damned if he wouldn't be able to live a life Snape had only dreamt about. Snape stood , grabbed his wand and ran up the steps to the apparition point in the front hall.

_Gods on high, hear my prayer._

_In my need, you have always been there._

He apparated outside of the old mansion, donning his mask he entered the hideout cautiously, unsure of what or who he would meet here. A single Death Eater guarded the door. Security, it seemed, had become lax in the aftermath of the last battle. The guard was young and bored and an old pro like Snape found his mind easy to read. Snape pulled the images out expertly. Flashes of a figure in black being dragged in by the rest. He was struggling feebly within their grasp.

_He is young, he's afraid._

But where had they taken him? Delving deeper Snape saw an image of the same figure crumpled in a corner of a dark cell, his hood had fallen off revealing a shock of platinum hair. Gods no!

_Let him rest, Heaven blessed._

_Bring him home._

Snape quickly immobilized the guard, hiding the body in the shadows. Carefully, he crept further into the mansion, heading for the basement stairs. He slipped past a lounge where a small group of young Death Eaters were drinking and talking. He briefly heard snatches of conversation.

"...this afternoon. No sign of Potter."

"He must have let him escape. There is no Dark Lord any more, he betrayed us all."

"How could he, the bastard. We were mates."

"He's gone soft, he has. He barely struggled once he realized it was us who got him."

"So, what do we do with the scum now?"

Thank the Gods, that meant he was still alive, somewhere. Those boys, those stupid moronic boys, had only locked him up. Though, if he had been beaten, who knows how long he has.

_He's like the son I might have now._

_If God had had granted me a son._

He spared one more glance at the small group. With the Aurors gaining ground they wouldn't last much longer. They were all his boys. He had led them into this life. Snape shook his head slightly in despair. He was guilty of so much.

_The sons must die one by one._

_How soon they fly on and on._

Snape continued to the stairs, encountering no others as he went. Sliding silently down the steps into the cellar, his eyes adjusted to the darkness. How long had he been forced to live this double life. How long would Draco be forced too? Snape wished to see this boy happy and loved, but above all, he wished him acceptance. Snape doubted he would ever receive that luxury.

_And I am old and will be gone._

Draco had his life ahead of him.

_Bring him peace, bring him joy._

_He is young, he is only a boy._

As Snape approached the cells one by one, his nerves shook. He didn't know what he would find. In a cell at the far end he spied his young apprentice, lying quietly on the cold stone. Blood streaked his hair and ran down the side of his face. His leg was bent at an awkward angle. Snape took in a sharp breath and whispered a silent prayer as he worked on the wards locking the prison.

_You can take, you can give._

_Let him be, let him live._

Once broken, the old Potions Master entered the cell and kneeled by the unconscious body. Casting a quick invisibility charm, he lifted him into his arms. Draco moaned quietly in protest.

Snape whispered to him. "Oh, what have they done to you, my boy?"

"Nothing.. I ..didn't deserve." He mumbled back, before losing consciousness again.

Snape hefted the boy, and began to carry him out of the basement and up the stairs. As he reached the top, he stayed in the shadows, listening for the young men, praying they were still occupied. As he got closer, he heard them arguing with each other over Draco's fate. Good. Now, to quietly get by the doorway. He held his breath as he made his way across the hallway.

_If I die, let me die._

He barely breathed again until he had reached the apparition point. He wasted no time apparating to 12 Grimmauld Place, landing in the front parlor he barked for Molly and Poppy. The invisibility charm had worn off the boy and the two women, who had run in the room at Snape's call, gaped at the bundle Snape held in his arms.

"Stop gawking witches, he needs your help!"

Striding upstairs to a bedroom, he laid him down and stepped back to let the two women fuss over the boy. Severus sighed, what had he done? He had made Draco go back for Potter, it was all his fault.

_Let him live._

Snape heard a small gasp from the doorway behind him. Ginevra. She made her way over to her Potions Master, eyes wide in terror, imploring him.

"Is he.... he's going to...he can't! I...need him." She broke down into sobs. Severus, not accustomed to comforting others, did his best, drawing the young witch to his side.

"Shush, Miss Weasley, we'll have him back soon." If the young Malfoy only knew how much he was needed.

_Bring him home._

* * *

Ginny brought in a bowl of soup for her laid-up patient. She smiled at him as she sat down beside him on the bed. Today was a good day.

"Now you eat this all up, young wizard. Medi-witch's orders." She spoke sternly.

He rolled his eyes at her playfully. It was so nice to be with her again.

"And if I don't?" He challenged, raising an eyebrow seductively,

She laughed, shaking her hair back.

"I'll use force if I have to; and trust me, it's not as good as it sounds!"

She stayed while he ate his lunch and afterwards read to him a little before he began to drift off to sleep.

"Gin?"

"Hmm."

"Potter took the portkey, you know."

"What? Wait, Draco, that would mean..."

"Yeah, it means he made his own choice Gin. He didn't want to come back."

"But why? Why leave all of us, all of this. He's a hero."

"He didn't want to be one anymore, Gin, he'd had enough I guess."

Ginny bowed her head and let a tear escape. Draco brought his hand up and smoothed her hair away from her face.

"No matter what your destiny Sprite, there's always choice." Draco sighed and leaned back into his pillows.

"Could you let Dumbledore know? They have to stop searching, Harry just doesn't want to be found. No use risking anyone else for him."

Ginny brought her head up, and then decided to snuggle in beside him.

"Alright, I will." She murmured into his shoulder.

He had already fallen asleep, and his crimson-haired sprite followed him, only a few heartbeats later.

_Bring him home._


	6. Empty Chairs at Empty Tables

_Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or his world, it all belongs to JKR. I also do not own the song lyrics from Les Miserables.._

**Empty Chairs at Empty Tables**

An eighteen year old Draco Malfoy sat quietly in the empty Slytherin common room. It was very late, and everyone had already gone up to their dormitories. He sat, mesmerized by the flames in the hearth. He'd been back at school for a month now, completing his seventh year, like many other older students ho had been involved in the war and unable to attend their final year.

They had been afforded the luxury of their own rooms, to give them a sanctuary when the world seemed too strange or too complicated, that were attached to their old House Common rooms. Draco often found himself sitting alone quietly in the Slytherin Common room, wishing his fallen comrades could return. He had never felt so lonely as he did this year.

_There's a grief that can't be spoken_

_There's a pain goes on and on._

He let his eyes roam the familiar room, imagining the bubble of energy that had enveloped the place over two years ago. He and his mates had just gotten back from summer holidays. Everyone was happy and at ease, looking forward to the year to come.

_Empty chairs at empty tables,_

_Now my friends are dead and gone._

He was torturing himself, and he knew it. Ginny often found him sitting here in this morose state and would drag him back to his room, chiding him gently for dwelling on the past too much. He knew, deep inside himself, that they had been responsible for their own fates. They had merely chosen a different path. It wasn't his fault. He had done what he had had to do, and so had they.

_Here they talked of revolution._

_Here it was they lit the flame._

Draco thought back to the celebration after their initiation the Easter before last. He smiled as he pictured the fastidious Zabini, chortling along with Montague, in a drunken duet. He sighed deeply as the memory faded, replaced by the lonely Common room.

_Here they sang about tomorrow,_

_And tomorrow never came._

How could they have been so brainless. They swallowed the rhetoric that their fathers had fed them since birth. They were idealists, yes, but with the wrong ideal.

_From the table in the corner,_

_They could see a world reborn._

Merlin, he thought, if only he could have been brave enough to save them before it was too late. He felt so useless now that the war was over.

_They rose with voices ringing,_

_And I can hear them now,_

_The very words that they had sung._

He brought his gaze back to the fire, trying to block out the bad memories. Impossible.

_Became their last communion,_

_On that lonely battlefield at dawn._

Severus Snape watched his young apprentice from the portrait hole. He closed his eyes to the desperate scene in front of him. So many nights Snape had found him here, and unable to help him, had gone in search of Ginevra. Severus' eyes opened as a broken sob escaped the wizard's mouth.

_Oh my friends, my friends, forgive me._

'Gods Draco, I wish I could help you, but I can barely help myself. I'll go get her for you, my boy. She can help you forget all the guilt, I promise.' Snape pledged silently to him. He turned quietly and quickly went to find the one who could help his godson.

Draco tried to tell himself that it was luck, dumb, improbable, luck that had dealt the cards as such. No prophecies, no secret fortelling.

_That I live and you are gone._

But he knew it to be a lie. And he was punished everyday for his traitorous acts. His true role in the war had been kept quiet, he had received no honour and no glory, though he doubted he wanted them anyway. But it was the taunts and jeers he got from every ignorant person that hurt. First and Second years shied away from him. The older kids never let him forget about the grotesque mark on his forearm. He was ridiculed, and worse, he was so lonely. Only his crimson-haired sprite stood by him.

_There's a grief that can't be spoken,_

_As the pain goes on and on._

The understanding and acceptance he thought the war's end would bring hadn't come. He often found himself grasping at memories in order to keep his faith alive.

_Phantom faces at the window,_

_Phantom shadows on the floor._

He had to leave this place. Stop this self-imposed torment.

_Empty chairs at empty tables,_

_Where my friends will meet no more._

His hands shook as he lifted himself out of the chair. The tremors hadn't stopped. They hadn't even lessened. He stood, unable to move away from this familiar prison. If only he could go back and change everything. It wasn't fair, just because they hadn't had someone to pull them out of their destinies like he had had, didn't mean that they had to accept their fate. It shouldn't have mattered!

_Oh, my friends, my friends, don't ask me,_

_What your sacrifice was for._

Ginny quietly entered the room and crossed to where he stood, surrounding him with her embrace.

"It's okay, love, I'm here, I'm here."

The strong man crumpled in the girl's arms. She looked at him with anguish. The war had destroyed so many people. Sometimes she thought bitterly about those that had been lucky enough to die, or the cowards that had run away. Draco, Severus, Ron, Hermione, even herself, they were the real heroes of the war. They continued to battle everyday with the demons the war left within them all. It hurt her so much to see Draco in so much pain. At least they had each other though, so many didn't even have the comfort of that.

She started pulling him out of the Common room.

"Come on, love, let's go to bed. It's late, love, very late to be up and fighting."

He let her lead him through and out of the lonely prison.

_Empty chairs at empty tables,_

_Where my friends will sing no more._

They walked slowly towards his room, their room really, as she seldom left him alone at night. She carefully undressed her tired sweetheart, and tucked him into bed. Crawling in beside him, she curled her warm body next to him.

"We have us, love, never forget." She whispered to him.

"I couldn't." He breathed out, relaxing with her next to him.

"And you have the world ahead of you, and a century or more to make your dreams come true." She smiled.

He rolled onto his side to face her. He kissed her gently on the lips, and pulled back to look at this beautiful witch who done so much for him. The woman who had saved his life a thousand times.

"Thank you Sprite," he closed his eyes and held her tightly, whispering. "Thank you for everything."

--------------------

* * *

Author's etc.: Well that's it for this one, bit mushy at the end but I thought a little bit of mush was called for ...Anyways, hope you enjoyed it, let me know if you did! I love reviews! (oh no, my secret's out!)

I have recently just got my first flame for this story, I feel sorry that that reviewer could not stretch their imagination to enjoy my story. I wish they did not feel offended by my use of the lyrics from Les Miserables. I do hold the Classic story in high regard, and feel that some of the songs held universal emotion that could fit well with the story that was forming in my brain, and in no way am I denigrating the story of Les Miserables, nor the that of the musical, honest, as we all know in the fanfiction universe, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery!

To the rest of my readers and reviewers, thank you thank you thank you! If you like my writing keep on the look out for my new DG story : Cultured Left Foot..... until then ,

Cheers! -sweetp


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